2：55 P。M。
Sam read the last line of Salsbury's article； closed the book； and said； 〃Jesus！〃
〃At least now we have some idea of what's happening in Black River；〃 Paul said。
〃All of that crazy stuff about breaking down the ego； primer drugs； code phrases； achieving total control； bringing contentment to the masses through behavioral modification； the benefits of a subliminally directed society。 。 。〃 Somewhat dazed by Salsbury's rhetoric； Jenny shook her head as if that would help her to think more clearly。 〃He sounds like a lunatic。 He's certifiable。〃
〃He's a Nazi；〃 Sam said； 〃in spirit if not in name。 That's a very special breed of lunatic。 A very deadly breed。 And there are literally thousands of people like him； hundreds of thousands who would agree with every word he said about the benefits of a 'subliminally directed society。'〃
Thunder exploded with such violence that it sounded as if the bowl of the sky had cracked in two。 A fierce gust of wind slammed against the house。 The tempo of the rain on the roof and windows picked up to double time。
〃Whatever he is；〃 Paul said； 〃he's done exactly what he said could be done。 He's made this insane scheme work。 By God； that has to be what's happening here。 It explains everything since the epidemic of night chills and nausea。〃
〃I still don't understand why Dad and I weren't afflicted；〃 Jenny said。 〃Salisbury mentions in the article that the subliminal program would not affect illiterates and children who haven't yet e to terms； however crude； with sex and death。 But neither Dad nor I fit into one of those categories。〃
〃I think I can answer that；〃 Paul said。
Sam said； 〃So can I。 One thing they teach budding pharmacologists is that no drug affects everyone the same way。 On some people； for instance； penicillin has little or no effect。 Some people don't respond well at all to sulfa drugs。 I suspect that； for whatever reasons of genes and metabolisms and body chemistries； we're among the tiny percentage of those who aren't touched by Salsbury's drug。〃
〃And thank God for that；〃 Jenny said。 She hugged herself and shivered。
〃There ought to be more adults unaffected；〃 Paul said。 〃It's summertime。 People take vacations。 Wasn't anyone out of town during the week when the reservoir was contaminated and the subliminal messages broadcast？〃
〃When the heavy snows e；〃 Sam said； 〃logging operations have to stop。 So in the warm months everyone connected with the mill works his butt off to make sure there will be a stockpile of logs to keep the saws going all winter。 No one at the mill takes a vacation in the summer； And everyone in town who serves the mill takes his time off in the winter too。〃
Paul felt as if he were on a turntable； whirling around and around。 His mind spun with the implications of the article that Sam had read。 〃Mark and Rya and I weren't affected because we got to town after the contaminant had passed out of the reservoir…and because we didn't watch whatever television programs or mercials contained the subliminal messages。 But virtually everyone else in Black River is now under Salsbury's control。〃
They stared at one another。
The storm moaned at the window。
Finally Sam said； 〃We enjoy the benefits and luxuries provided by modern science…all the while forgetting that the technological revolution； just like the industrial revolution before it； has its dark side。〃 For several long seconds； with the mantel clock ticking behind him； he studied the cover of the book in his hand。 〃The more plex a society bees； the more dependent each part of it bees on every other part of it； the easier it is for one man； one lunatic or true believer； to destroy it all on a whim。 One man working alone can assassinate a chief of state and precipitate major changes in his country's foreign and domestic policies。 They tell us that one man with a degree in biology and a lot of determination can culture more than enough plague bacillus to destroy the world。 One man working alone can even build a nuclear bomb。 All he needs is a college degree in physics。 And the ability to get his hands on a few Pounds of plutonium。 Which isn't so damned hard to do either。 He can build a bomb inside a suitcase and wipe out New York
City because。 。 。 Well； hell； why not because he was mugged there； or because he once got a traffic ticket in Manhattan and he doesn't think he deserved it。
〃But Salsbury can't be working alone；〃 Jenny said。
〃I agree with you。〃
〃The resources needed to perfect and implement the program that he described in his article。 。 。 Why； they would be enormous。〃
〃A private industry might be able to finance it；〃 Paul said。 〃A pany as large as AT&T。〃
〃No；〃 Sam said。 〃Too many executives and research people would have to know about it。 There would be a leak。 It would never get this far without a leak to the press and a major scandal。〃
〃A single wealthy man could provide what Salsbury needed；〃 Jenny said。 〃Someone as rich as Onassis was。 Or Hughes。〃
Tugging gently on his beard； Sam said； 〃It's possible； I suppose。 But we're all avoiding the most logical explanation。〃
〃That Salsbury is working for the United States government；〃 Paul said worriedly。
〃Exactly；〃 Sam said。 〃And if he is working for the government or the CIA or any branch of the military…then we're finished。 Not just the three of us and Rya； but the whole damned country。〃
Paul went to the window； wiped away some of the dew； and stared at wind…lashed trees and billowing gray sheets of rain。 〃Do you think that what's happening here is happening all over the country？〃
〃No；〃 Sam said。 〃If there were a general takeover in progress； Salsbury wouldn't be in a backwoods mill town。 He'd be at a mand post in Washington。 Or somewhere else； anywhere else。〃
〃Then it's a test。 A field test；〃
〃Probably。〃
〃And that's maybe a good sign；〃 Sam said。 〃The government would run a field test where it already bad tight security。 Most likely on an army or air force base。 Not here。〃
Lightning blasted through the thunderheads； and for an instant the patterns of rain on the window seemed to form faces： Annie's face； Mark's face。。。
Suddenly Paul thought that his wife and son； although they had met quite different deaths； had been killed by the same force。 Technology。 Science。 Annie had gone into the hospital for a simple appendectomy。 It hadn't even been an emergency operation。 The anesthesiologist had given her a brand…new…on…the…market…revolutionary…you…couldn't…ask…for…better anesthetic； something that wasn't as messy as ether； something that was easier to use （easier for the anesthesiologist） than pentothal。 But after the operation she didn't regain consciousness as she should have done。 She slipped； instead； into a a。 She'd had an allergic reaction to the brand…new…on…the…market…revolutionary…you…couldn't…ask…for…better anesthetic； and it had destroyed a large part of her liver。 Fortunately； the doctors told him； the liver was the one organ of the body that could regenerate itself。 If they kept her in the intensive care unit； supporting her life processes with machines； the liver would repair itself day by day； until eventually she would be well again。 She was in intensive care for five weeks； at which time the doctors fed all of the data from the life…support machines into a Medico puter； and the puter told them that she was well enough to be moved out of intensive care and into a private room。 Eleven weeks later； the same puter said she was well enough to go home。 She was listless and apathetic…but she agreed that the puter must be right。 Two weeks after she came home； she had a relapse and died within forty…eight hours。 Sometimes he thought that if he had only been a medical doctor instead of a veterinarian； he might have saved her。 But that was pointless masochism。 What he could have done was demand that her Original surgery be performed with ether or pentothal； something known to be safe； something that had stood the test of decades。 He could have told them to stuff their puter up their collective ass。 But he hadn't done that either。 He had trusted in their technology simply because it was technology； because it was all new。 Americans were brought up to respect
what was new and